1931-D $20 MS64 PCGS....

Description

Remarkable 1931-D Twenty, MS64

1931-D $20 MS64 PCGS. Some of the earlier Saint-Gaudens
series issues, such as the 1927-D, actually saw considerable
mintages but were later melted, except for a few (or in the case of
the 1927-D, very few) examples. But that is not the story of the
1931-D. The 1931-D was produced in the depths of the Great
Depression, and so close to the Gold Recall of 1933 that it is
unlikely that examples ever circulated to any significant extent.
In both cases, the nation's mints reported the numbers
produced--not the numbers actually issued later, nor the numbers of
pieces that were later melted.
In the case of the 1931-D, the number reportedly produced was
106,500 coins. Excluding the (so far) uncollectible 1933 twenty, of
the four remaining issues that conclude the Saint-Gaudens
series--the 1930-S, 1931, 1931-D, 1932--the 1931-D was at one time
considered equally as rare as the 1930-S. Akers' recent
Handbook of 20th century gold coins updates the
situation:

"Until a small hoard of approximately 15-20 pieces
entered the market in the early 1980s, the 1931-D was virtually
identical to the 1930-S in both overall and high-grade rarity. Now,
however, the 1931-D is more similar to the 1931 and 1932 in terms
of total number of coins known. The hoard contained coins that
grade only MS-60 to MS-64, however, with the result that the 1931-D
is still nearly as rare as the 1930-S in high grades. A few
premium-quality Gems have survived, none of which has a distinct
advantage over the others as finest known."

This is not to say that the present 1931-D is near-Gem condition is
anything but strictly rare, and this piece is certainly a
coin that any advanced collector would be thrilled to take
possession of. PCGS has certified only 39 pieces in this grade,
with 18 finer--as always, minus a number of duplications (3/10).
The frosty surfaces here offer delightful reddish-orange coloration
predominating. Only a few wispy marks, in particular a small scrape
from Liberty's midsection out into the left obverse field, appear
to account for the near-Gem grade. The strike is bold, and the
softness on the Capitol appears not to be strike softness, but
rather perhaps a bit of die filling, as the star in the center of
the building is quite sharp. A remarkable example of this storied
issue.From The Carter Family Collection.(Registry
values: N7079) (NGC ID# 26GP, PCGS# 9193)

The Coinage of Augustus Saint-Gaudens is an issue-by-issue examination of these two artistically inspired series of gold coins.
Each date and mintmark is reviewed with up-to-date information, much of which has never been previously published. The book is based on
two extraordinary collections: The Phillip H. Morse collection and the Dr. and Mrs. Steven L. Duckor collection.